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LeBallister’s Seed and Fertilizer

LeBallister’s started in 1947 with Hendrickson’s grandfather George LeBallister. LeBallister bought an apple ranch in Sebastopol following WWII where he packed apples and had a roadside fruit stand. LeBallister was selling agricultural chemicals and fertilizers out of his packing house as a side business.

LeBallister’s Seed and Fertilizer

Hendrickson had worked on his grandfather’s apple farm during high school and college, but went into pharmaceutical sales for 12 years after he was finished with school. In 1980, Hendrickson purchased his grandfather’s inventory and started selling it.

LeBallister’s Seed and Fertilizer

During the first two years, Hendrickson sold just fertilizers. In 1985, he bought seed equipment and inventory from Nelligan Feed Store and expanded his business. Today, LeBallister’s business is half seed and half fertilizer.

LeBallister’s Seed and Fertilizer

Hendrickson said his business was on the forefront of cover cropping and erosion control, and as the vineyard industry grew around him, so did Hendrickson’s seed and fertilizer business.